Meal-cabinet.



W. T. GRAFTON.

, MEAL CABINET. APPLIGATION FILED APR. 12,1909.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

|||||I||I|| Illlllll'llll FUMTED STAES PATENT orribili.'

` WALTER `T. GRAFTON, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

MEAL-CABINET.

To `all 'whom il mail concern:

Be it known that l, VALTER T; GRAFTON,

va citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county ofMontgomery' and State of Ohio, .have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Meal-Cabinets; and I do declarethe .following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art` ment to places where theyare partaken of,

from said establishment.

such for example, as oflices, factories and elsewhere within near orremote distances The said cabinets are designed to be used in connectionwith a vcaterers delivery wagon and the meal in each receptacle ismaintained in a heated condition for the necessary time from itspreparation until consumed., l f .The object of the invention is toprovide a portable cabinet with a series of supports on the interiorthereof which contain a suit-- able number of individual mealreceptacles, with Va hot'water receptacle'in the hase and suitable spacebetween and around the meal receptacles to permit the heat' generatedfrom the hot water vessel to circulate freelyr there-around, also meansfor holding each individual meal receptacle in a firm position duringthe transportation of the cabinet, all as hereinafter morefullydescribedv in the specification and set forth in the claim.

In the accompanying cli".iwiii, ,r.s,'r Figure l, is a perspective viewof the cabinet with the door thrown open to reveal lthe arrangement andpositions lof the individual meal receptacles. Fig. 2is a verticalsectional view at right angles to Fig. 1.

In a detail descriptionof theinvention, similar reference charactersindicate corresponding parts.

`The portable cabinet l is preferably constructed of wood owing to itsnon-heat conducting nature and is ofithe upright form provided with adoor 2 hinged to the cabinet at 4 and provided with a handle 3 by whichit is carried' to and `from the vehicle. On the interior sides of thecabinet, there are a'suitable number of supporting cleats 5 arrangedspecification of Letters raient.

Application led April 12, 1903.

Patented ocr. 1.9, moo. serial No. 489,375.4

at points to permit of desirable spaces 6 above and below each of theindividual meal receptacles 7 'which are supported on said cleats. The'individual meal receptaclesJ are constructed of metal, such forexample, as block tin, and each is provided with a iid S which linclosesthe same after the meal has been placed therein. These receptacles areall of uniform size, each being designed to contain a complete :.neal,such as oneis accustomed tohave served himat the usual restaurant. Onthe interior of each receptacle, there is a removable tray 10 supportedon brackets ll on opposite sides of the receptacle and upon which traythe plate containing a portion of the edibles may be placed as well asother accessories necessary for a complete meal. Below this tray thereis suitable space provided for a platter and other accessories. In thedrawings, it has not' been. deemed necessary to illustrate everythingwhich may be conveniently placed in each receptacle, but it will beunderstood that each of such receptacles contains a complete mealincludinga bot'tle orjar l2 which may contain drink, such as coffee,tea, etc., and another jar 13 which may contai milk, soup, etc. Theregulation size of jars l2 is such that an opening is provided in thelids 8 as at l2 for the necks of said jars toe tend through into thespaces 6 between said receptacles. The said spaces 6v therefore, havethe double purpose of providing room for the necks of the jars to extendinto and also space for the circulation of heat.

The individual receptacles 7 are of sub stantially less depth than thedepth of the cabinet l, as shown in Fig. Q, and in order to hold saidreceptacles firmly in position against any sliding movement on theirsupports 5, a rib G is provided on the' inner sine of the doorQ and asimilar strip 6-on the inner side of the back of the cabinet.' lVhenVthe door 2 is closed, the receptacles are held between these front andrear strips or ribs (5 and are thus preventedfrom sliding laterally ontheir supports 5. In the bottom of the cabinet, there `is a receptacle 9preferably constructed of block tin and inclosed on alli sides. 'Thisreceptacle 9 has an opening in the front thereof which 1s closed by ascrewcap 1 4 which may be removed and replaced,

said receptacle heilig designed to contain hot water which is placedtherein in filling the cabinet with the individual meal receptacles.In'supplying each cabinet with the meal l receptacles, the hot Waterreceptacle is first placed in the bottom thereof, after which theindividual meal receptacles are taken from a steam-heated table uponwhich they have been placed after being supplied with the meals, and thecabinet is thus filled with hot food, in Which condition, it ismaintained for several hours thereafter, and each recepcleats, thecleats -on one side being in aline-` ment With those on theother side,and each two lof said alined cleats being adapted to support anindividual meal receptacle, the

positions of said cleats being such as to provide heat-circulatingspaces above and below` each receptacle, the depth of. thecabinctbeinggreater than thedepths of the individual meal vreceptacles so ,asto permit the circulation of heat at the rear and front of saidreceptacles,'said cabinet having a space below the lower set` of cleatsin which to' place a' hot water receptacle, and the back of the cabinetand the door thereof having cach a vertical rib on the inner sidethereof and extending approximately -the length thereof and adapted toengage the front and rear sides of said receptacles to hold them firmlyin transporting the cabinet.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

WALTER T. GRAFTON. l/Vtnesses:

R. J. MCCARTY, MATTHEW SmLER.

